Electricity: measuring and testing inventions 05/08

20080122423 - Particle analyzer based on sheath flow impedance method: The application provides a particle analyzer based on sheath flow impedance method comprising a flow cell and a counting circuit, wherein the flow cell includes a front chamber and a back chamber, the front chamber includes a particle suspension liquid inlet and a front sheath liquid inlet, the back chamber... Agent: Bingham Mccutchen LLP

20080122425 - High-voltage generator of an x-ray apparatus comprising a high-voltage measurement device: A high-voltage (HV) generator of an X-ray device comprises a high-voltage measurement device. The measurement device comprises a compact component integrating both the measurement resistor and the capacitors enabling both the protection of said resistor and the elimination of the parasitic effects of the generator. The capacitors are made on... Agent: General Electric Co. Global Patent Operation

20080122424 - Integrated sensor system monitoring and characterizing lightning events: A compact sensor system integrates electric and magnetic field sensors to accurately measure, with a high level of sensitivity, electric and magnetic fields. The sensor system is self-contained so as to include a built-in power source, as well as data storage and/or transmission capability. The integrated sensor system also preferably... Agent: Diederiks & Whitelaw, PLC

20080122426 - Detector, apparatus for processing a signal and method for processing a signal: A detector comprises an analog-to-digital converter. The analog-to-digital converter comprises an input for an analog receive signal and an output for a digital signal. The detector further comprises an edge detector. The edge detector comprises an input for a digital signal and an interface for an edge detection information. The... Agent: Maginot, Moore & Beck Chase Tower

20080122427 - Device and method for measuring a phase deviation: A device for measuring a phase deviation has a sampler having a first input for a periodic measurement signal having a steady-state or a varying frequency, a second input for a reference signal replicating an idealized phase trajectory of the periodic measurement signal, and an output for a sample value... Agent: Slater & Matsil LLP

20080122428 - Optimized determination of voltage changes using a voltage-sensitive dye: The present invention relates to a method of determining voltage changes, e.g. in cell membranes, by means of a voltage-sensitive dye.... Agent: Morris Manning Martin LLP

20080122429 - Current measuring circuit for two phase electromotor: A current measuring circuit for a two phase electromotor according to an aspect of the present invention includes first and second capacitors that are connected in series to each other, first and second inductors that are connected in parallel to each other between the first and second capacitors connected in... Agent: Greenblum & Bernstein, P.L.C

20080122430 - Detector circuit for measuring current: Detector circuit for measuring relatively strong currents including a main current transformer (1) and two substantially identical auxiliary current transformers (2, 3) where a main current (I1) induces magnetomotive forces in said main current transformer (1), said magnetomotive forces being counteracted by magnetomotive forces induced by a compensating current (i1)... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20080122431 - Micro-electromechanical system (mems) based current & magnetic field sensor having improved sensitivities: A micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) based current & magnetic field sensor includes a MEMS-based magnetic field sensing component a structural component comprising a silicon substrate and a compliant layer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride, a magnetic-to-mechanical converter coupled to the structural component... Agent: General Electric Company Global Research

20080122433 - Pressing member and electronic component handling device: m

20080122432 - Test head positioning system and method: An apparatus for supporting a load includes pneumatic units and couplers coupled to opposite sides of the load. The couplers move the load parallel to a first axis responsive to actuation of the pneumatic units. At least one of the couplers rotate the load about a second axis orthogonal to... Agent: Ratnerprestia

20080122434 - Superconductive quantum interference device (squid) system for measuring magnetic susceptibility of materials: A superconductive quantum interference device (SQUID) system is provided for measuring the alternating current (AC) magnetic susceptibility of material at a single frequency or a mixing frequency from multiple frequencies, such as mf1+nf2, where f1 and f2 are two excitation frequencies of two primary coils. The system includes a magnetic-flux... Agent: Jianq Chyun Intellectual Property Office

20080122435 - Gravity gradiometer: A gradiometer is disclosed which has a pair of sensor bars 41, 43 supported in housings 45, 47. Transducers 71 are located adjacent the bars 41, 43 to detect movement of the bars in response to the gravity gradient tensor. At least one of the transducers 71 comprises a first... Agent: Fish & Richardson P.C.

20080122436 - Linear actuator with position sensing system: An electromagnetic actuator assembly with a frame, a movable plunger, first and second sensor targets that are coupled to a plunger for movement therewith, first and second sensors that are coupled to the frame and a controller. The first sensor is configured to sense a position of the first sensor... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20080122437 - Absolute angle detecting apparatus: An absolute angle detecting apparatus is disclosed that is capable of accurately detecting the absolute angle of a rotating body even when positional deviation occurs in the switching position of an arc tangent signal obtained from a sine signal and a cosine signal that are output from a magnetic sensor.... Agent: Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione

20080122438 - Non-contact magnetic sensor system: A non-contact sensor system according to one embodiment comprises a substrate having at least one sensor element, the at least one sensor element being directed towards at least one data track on a medium positioned opposite the at least one sensor element, wherein the substrate and the medium each carry... Agent: Zilka-kotab, PC- Ibm

20080122439 - High performance low volume inductor and method of making same: An inductor includes an electrical conductor wound in a magnetic flux concentrating pattern, the electrical conductor comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes that are substantially aligned with an axis along a center of the electrical conductor.... Agent: General Electric Company Global Research

20080122440 - Measurement system and image processing system for neural fiber bundles: The present invention provides a measurement system and an image processing system for quantitatively figuring out the fiber bundles which are passing through any VOI. A static magnetic field and an RF signal are applied to a subject, and a nuclear magnetic resonance signal is received from the subject (401).... Agent: Reed Smith LLP Suite 1400

20080122441 - Magnetic attraction preventive system: A magnetic attraction preventive system includes an approach detection unit which generates an approach detection magnetic field and detects the approach of a magnetic material to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus on the basis of a variation in the strength of the approach detection magnetic field, and a preventive unit... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC

20080122442 - Low temperature probe and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis apparatus using the same: A low temperature probe having a coil used in an NMR apparatus includes an opposed heat exchanger cooling a cooling medium, and a cooling apparatus having a first cooling stage capable of cooling to no more than 10K and a second cooling stage capable of cooling to at least 10K... Agent: Antonelli, Terry, Stout & Kraus, LLP

20080122443 - Magnetic resonance rf transmission array: In a magnetic resonance system and an operating method therefor, a number of independently operable radio frequency signal generator modules are provided or respectively connected to radio frequency coils. A control unit provides a synchronization signal to each of the radio frequency signal generator modules to selectively operate the modules... Agent: Schiff Hardin, LLP Patent Department

20080122444 - Source for electromagnetic surveying: A source arrangement for generating electrogmagnetic (EM) wavefields, comprising an EM signal generator, at least three electrodes (141-144) connected to the generator, and a control system. The electrodes are spaced apart but not all in line. The control system is arranged to apply non-coincident time-varying signals or transmissions from the... Agent: Patterson, Thuente, Skaar & Christensen, P.A.

20080122445 - Fixture for analyzing thin flexible electronic device: A fixture for facilitating failure analysis of a thin flexible electronic device is provided. The fixture includes a first stage and a second stage. The second stage covers the first stage from above, and the thin flexible electronic device is disposed between the first stage and the second stage. The... Agent: Jianq Chyun Intellectual Property Office

20080122446 - Test pattern: An example of a test pattern includes a test element, a plurality of test pads spaced apart from and formed around the test element, a plurality of metal wires configured to connect the test element with the test pads, a fuse configured to connect the test pads having the same... Agent: Workman Nydegger

20080122447 - Method and apparatus for detection of resistive fault conditions: A resistive fault condition detector for conducting one or more tests of a circuit to detect a resistive fault condition. The detector includes means for determining changes in current through a load during the test, and means for measuring changes in first and second voltages respectively between the circuit's live... Agent: Hall, Vande Sande & Pequignot, LLP

20080122448 - Method and system for detecting transformer saturation in a communication interface: A method and system for detecting transformer saturation in a communication interface is provided. The method may include detecting a change in impedance resulting from transformer saturation of at least one isolation transformer utilized in a network path of a network. The network may conform to an IEEE 802.3af specification... Agent: Mcandrews Held & Malloy, Ltd

20080122450 - Calibration circuit: To include a first replica buffer that has substantially the same circuit configuration as a pull-up circuit which constitutes an output buffer and a second replica buffer that has substantially the same circuit configuration as a pull-down circuit which constitutes the output buffer. When a first calibration command ZQCS is... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080122452 - Impedance calibration for source series terminated serial link transmitter: Substantially-accurate calibration of output impedance of a device-under-test (DUT) to within a predetermined range of allowable impedance. The DUT is part of a source series terminated (SST) serial link transmitter, in which two branches of parallel transistors each provide an impedance value when particular transistors of the parallel branch are... Agent: Dillon & Yudell LLP

20080122451 - Method for calibration of a vectorial network analyzer having more than two ports: A method for calibrating a vectorial network analyzer, with n measurement ports (n>2) and at least m measurement sites, where m>n+1 comprises measurement of three different n-port reflection standards, connected between measurement ports in any desired order, and successive measurement of reflection and transmission parameters at different transmission standards, connected... Agent: Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti PC

20080122449 - Power extractor for impedance matching: In some embodiments, a power extractor may operate such that the source impedance and the load impedance may have various values. The power extractor dynamically matches the impedance of the source and the load for the maximum transfer of power. The power extractor includes detection circuitry to continuously detect power... Agent: Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman

20080122454 - Capacitance detecting apparatus: A capacitance detecting apparatus includes a first differential amplifier, a first reference capacitor, a first on/off switch, a second on/off switch, a third on/off switch, a first sensor electrode facing a ground electrode, a first variable capacitance being formed between the first sensor electrode and the ground electrode in response... Agent: Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney PC

20080122453 - Low noise radiation sensor: A radiation sensor array that exhibits improved performance is disclosed. The radiation sensor array dissipates kinetic energy within a capacitive sensing element and establishes an electric field across a two capacitor bridge circuit that comprises the capacitive sensing element, wherein the electric field has substantially constant magnitude during both sensing... Agent: Demont & Breyer, LLC

20080122455 - Passage detection apparatus of object: A passage detection apparatus 300 is configured to detect the change in the properties (propagation state of sound wave, dielectric constant, etc.) of a specific space 300a, which changes according to the passage of an object in the specific space 300a and the size of the object. The passage detection... Agent: Burr & Brown

20080122456 - Capacitive sensor: A capacitive sensor for mounting to a body, particularly a body such as a van door (55). The sensor has a sensor plate (51) to which a first signal is applied. A first guard plate (52) is interposed between the sensor plate (51) and the body (55), and a second... Agent: Stetina Brunda Garred & Brucker

20080122457 - Capacitance difference detecting circuit: A capacitance difference detecting circuit has timing generator that outputs a current switching pulse signal for controlling a switching operation of a current switching circuit, outputs a gate pulse signal for controlling a chopper amplifier so that the chopper amplifier detects the first charging voltage when a first variable capacitor... Agent: Amin, Turocy & Calvin, LLP

20080122458 - Proximity detection system: Proximity sensing arrangements utilize one or more sensing devices to detect and/or to discern objects that are or become proximate, or are expected to be proximate to a position of interest. For example, one or more capacitive sensors may be distributed to locations about a machine, e.g., attached to, incorporated... Agent: Stevens & Showalter LLP

20080122459 - Method of testing light metal parts, in particular aluminum components, which have been coated by anodising, in particular by tsa anodising: A method of testing light metal parts, in particular aluminum components, which have been coated by anodising, in particular by TSA anodising, to determine whether they have been coated is described. According to the invention, the surface resistance of the surface of the component is measured and the surface coating... Agent: Jenkins, Wilson, Taylor & Hunt, P. A.

20080122460 - Thickness variation detector of photoconductor, image formation unit, image formation apparatus and method for thickness variation of photoconductor: A thickness variation detector of a photoconductor includes: a current detection unit that detects a value of current being used for charging a surface of the photoconductor in a state in which a charging unit is in contact with a surface of the photoconductor; and a thickness variation detection unit... Agent: Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP

20080122461 - High-voltage generator for an x-ray apparatus comprising a high-voltage measurement device: A high-voltage generator of an X-ray apparatus comprises a high-voltage measurement device. The measurement device comprises a compact component comprising both the measurement resistor and a film capacitor used both to protect said resistor and eliminate the parasitic effects induced by parasitic capacitances of the generator. The film capacitor is... Agent: General Electric Co. Global Patent Operation

20080122462 - Method of inspecting pattern and inspecting instrument: Electron beam is irradiated to a wafer in the midst of steps at predetermined intervals by a plurality of times under a condition in which a junction becomes rearward bias and a difference in characteristic of a time period of alleviating charge in the rearward bias is monitored. As a... Agent: Mattingly, Stanger, Malur & Brundidge, P.C.

20080122463 - Testing microelectronic devices using electro-optic modulator probes: Testing microelectronic devices using electro-optic modulator probes is disclosed. In one aspect, a testing apparatus may include an electrical signaling medium to exchange electrical signals with a microelectronic device. The testing apparatus may include an electro-optic modulator probe to provide optical signals that are modulated by the electrical signals. An... Agent: Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman

20080122466 - Electrical connecting apparatus: An electrical connecting apparatus comprising: a circuit board on which a reinforcing plate is mounted and a plurality of first electric connections are provided; a probe board on which second electric connections corresponding to the first electric connections are provided, with a plurality of probes electrically connected to the corresponding... Agent: Ingrassia Fisher & Lorenz, P.C.

20080122467 - Electrical connecting apparatus: A wiring path of a circuit board has a first vertical path portion penetrating the circuit board at its outer edge in its thickness direction and connected to a connector on one surface, a second vertical path portion penetrating the circuit board in its thickness direction and connected to the... Agent: Ingrassia Fisher & Lorenz, P.C.

20080122465 - Probe holder for a probe for testing semiconductor components: A probe holder in which the probe needle has a slight horizontal offset under the action of a vertical force comprises a probe holder for a probe needle, wherein the holder is adapted, for fastening and electrical contact-connection, on a carrier device of a test apparatus and has a holder... Agent: Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti PC

20080122464 - Replaceable probe: A replaceable probe to be used on a test feature includes a hollow probe body to house an elastic element and at least one needle inserting in the probe body. The needle presses the elastic element and is retractable in the probe body. The probe body is surrounded by a... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20080122468 - Probe holder for a probe for testing semiconductor components: A probe holder in which the probe needle has a slight horizontal offset under the action of a vertical force, includes a probe holder for a probe needle, wherein the holder is adapted, for fastening and electrical contact-connection, on a carrier device of a test apparatus and has a holder... Agent: Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti PC

20080122469 - Probe card for testing image-sensing chips: A probe card for testing an image-sensing chip includes a circuit board having a first surface, a second surface, and an opening cut through the first and second surfaces for the passing of a test light, a guide member, and probes. The guide member is mounted on the second surface... Agent: Bacon & Thomas, PLLC

20080122470 - Probe installed to a probe card: A probe installed to a probe card is provided. A tip or a body of the probe are electroplated with a conductive film and the probe card is placed in a vacuum electroplating furnace. Or, the body of the probe is electroplated with an insulating film and the probe card... Agent: Wen-yu Lu

20080122471 - Fault detection method, test circuit and semiconductor device: A fault detection method for detects, within a semiconductor device, a fault in a delay chain that is provided within the semiconductor device and is made up of delay parts that are each formed by delay cells. The method judges if a fault exists in a first specific delay cell... Agent: Arent Fox LLP

20080122473 - Method for improved single event latch up resistance in an integrated circuit: A process and system for estimating the occurrence of single event latch-up in an integrated circuit. The process involves determining the resistance between each junction and the closest appropriate tap in a regular shaped well. Each junction occurring in an irregular-shaped well is also identified. Finally, the method may make... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20080122474 - Systems and methods for reducing the effects of electrostatic discharge: Various systems and methods for limiting the effects of electrostatic discharge are disclosed. For example, a system for reducing the effects of electrostatic discharge is disclosed that includes at least two isolated pairs of potential planes. The two isolated pairs of potential planes may include, but are not limited to,... Agent: Hamilton And Desanctis

20080122472 - Testing jig of electronic signal: A testing jig of electronic signal is disclosed. The testing jig of electronic signal capable of providing electrical connection between a plurality of contact pads of the circuit board and a plurality of ball-shaped leads of the ball-grid-array packaging device in order to perform testing with respect to the ball-grid-array... Agent: Troxell Law Office PLLC

20080122475 - A current mirror with circuitry that allows for over voltage stress testing: A current mirror circuit that allows for over voltage stress testing includes: a first transistor; a second transistor having a gate coupled to a gate of the first transistor; a switch coupled between the gate of the first transistor and the drain of the first transistor; a bias source coupled... Agent: Texas Instruments Incorporated

20080122476 - Test structure with tddb test pattern: A test structure includes a time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) test pattern formed in a dielectric material on a wafer. The test pattern includes first and second conductive lines formed in the dielectric material. The second conductive line is adjacent to the first conductive line. The first conductive line and... Agent: Slater & Matsil, L.L.P.

20080122477 - Voltage test circuit for computer power supply: A voltage test circuit for testing a computer power supply includes a voltage input unit configured for receiving voltages from the computer power supply, a voltage output unit configured for outputting the voltages to a plurality of electrical loads, a test unit, a switch control unit, and a capacitive load... Agent: PCe Industry, Inc. Att. Cheng-ju Chiang

20080116876 - Plasma processing chamber with ground member integrity indicator and method for using the same: A method and apparatus for monitoring the integrity of a ground member coupling a substrate support to a chamber body in a plasma processing system is provided. In one embodiment, a processing chamber is provided that includes a ground path member coupled between a substrate support and a chamber body.... Agent: Patterson & Sheridan, LLP - - Appm/tx

20080116877 - Method and apparatus for detecting the phase wiring of an arbitrary unknown phase voltage relative to a reference phase voltage: The present invention relates to detecting the wiring phase of an unknown phase voltage relative to a reference phase voltage in an electric power distribution system having a polyphase power line. In order to reliably detect the wiring phase at the remote location relative to a reference wiring phase even... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, Pc

20080116878 - Power sensor with switched-in filter path: An RF power sensor is enclosed within a housing. An input port of the housing brings an RF signal into the housing. An RF switch within the housing switches the RF signal between an amplified and filtered path, a through-path and an attenuated path. An RF power detector within the... Agent: Agilent Technologies Inc.

20080116879 - Voltage measuring device: A voltage measuring device includes at least two voltage dividing circuits, an analog to digital converter, and a processor. Each voltage dividing circuit is configured for dividing a voltage output by a direct current power supply. The analog to digital converter is configured for converting the divided voltage to a... Agent: Pce Industry, Inc. Att. Cheng-ju Chiang

20080116880 - Harmonics measurement instrument with in-situ calibration: A portable harmonics measurement instrument performs in-situ self-calibration of its current transducers and their associated measurement channels and of its voltage probes and their associated measurement channels. In-situ self-calibration is performed immediately before making a measurement on the alternating current power distribution grid. In-situ self-calibration is performed by means of... Agent: Alex Mceachern Power Standards Lab

20080116881 - Sensor: A sensor device includes a movable object, a first sensor element with a first magnetically encoded region and a second magnetically encoded region, and a second sensor element with at least a first magnetic field detector. The first sensor element is provided at to the movable object. The first magnetically... Agent: Fay Kaplun & Marcin, LLP

20080116882 - Electromagnetic sensor systems: A variable inductance position sensor is described... Agent: Burns & Levinson, LLP

20080116883 - Inductive sensor for sensing of two coupling elements: In an inductive sensor device, and a method for inductive identification, a first and a second exciter inductor 16a, 16b extend along a measurement range and vary spatially differently from each other. A first and a second inductive coupling element 12a, 12b couple a signal from the exciter inductors 16a,... Agent: Milde & Hoffberg, LLP

20080116886 - Displacement sensor using gmr elements, angle sensor using gmr elements, and semiconductor device used for them:

20080116884 - Magnet sensor arrangement: A magnetic sensor arrangement (1), having magnetically sensitive sensor elements (7, 8) whose electrical properties are changeable as a function of a magnetic field that a moving, passive transmitter element (11) is able to influence. The magnetic sensor arrangement (1) has two sensor elements (7, 8) in a gradiometer arrangement... Agent: Striker, Striker & Stenby

20080116885 - Magnetic sensor for input devices: In an example embodiment, a magnetic sensor has a magnet and a magneto-resistive element, arranged on a substrate such that magnetic field lines through the magneto-resistive element are substantially parallel to a plane of the substrate. Movement of a movable magnetically permeable element (MMPE) near the substrate is detected as... Agent: Nxp, B.v. Nxp Intellectual Property Department

20080116887 - Method and apparatus for automation of ptf measurement in sputter targets: The present invention is directed towards an automated apparatus and method for determining the pass through flux (PTF) of a sputter target by generating a magnetic field on a first side of the sputter target and passing the magnetic field through the sputter target and out a second side of... Agent: Mcdermott Will & Emery LLP

20080116888 - Three-axis fluxgate-type magnetism detecting device and method: A three-axis fluxgate-type circuit having three fluxgate sensors for outputting three analog voltage values respectively. A controller normalizes three digital voltage values corresponding to said three analog voltage values, select a set of linear voltage values from the three normalized digital voltage values and calculate an azimuth based on the... Agent: Sughrue Mion, Pllc

20080116889 - Methods for magnetic resonance analysis using magic angle technique: Methods of performing a magnetic resonance analysis of a biological object are disclosed that include placing the object in a main magnetic field (that has a static field direction) and in a radio frequency field; rotating the object at a frequency of less than about 100 Hz around an axis... Agent: Klarquist Sparkman, LLP

20080116890 - Proton decoupled hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging: A system and method for improving available signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and speed of MR imaging of hyperpolarized substances is disclosed. The system and method include decoupling spin effects of hydrogen nuclei from non-hydrogen nuclei of interest during sampling of MR signals therefrom. Though the hydrogen nuclei of the hyperpolarized substance... Agent: Ziolkowski Patent Solutions Group, Sc (gems)

20080116892 - Method and apparatus for generating a magnetic resonance data file: In a method for operating a magnetic resonance imaging system to generate a magnetic resonance data file, raw magnetic resonance data are acquired, and k-space is established in a computerized storage medium, with k-space being divided into a contiguous central region and a contiguous region surrounding the central region. In... Agent: Schiff Hardin, LLP Patent Department

20080116891 - System and method for multi-echo bandwidth match imaging: A system and method for medical imaging includes an improvement to the MP-RAGE pulse sequence that enables the readout bandwidth thereof to be matched to that of other pulse sequences used in the same examination without a significant loss in SNR. More specifically, the present invention includes using a multi-echo... Agent: Quarles & Brady LLP

20080116893 - System and method for fast mr imaging of metabolites at selective excitation frequencies: A system and method are provided for imaging multiple substances, such as contrast agents and metabolites in vivo, with selective excitation frequencies. A first substance is excited with a frequency selective pulse, then a second substance is excited with another frequency selective pulse. The signals resulting from these pulses are... Agent: Ziolkowski Patent Solutions Group, Sc (gems)

20080116894 - Method for automatic shimming for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy: s

20080116895 - Non-contact engine parameter sensor: A system and method for non-contact engine parameter sensing. A magnetized engine component establishes a magnetic field that varies in response to stress imparted within the engine. A magnetic field sensing element spaced from the magnetized engine component is configured to provide an output indicative of a state of combustion... Agent: Grossman, Tucker, Perreault & Pfleger, Pllc

20080116896 - Universal voltage monitoring and switching device: A monitoring and switching device for use with a towed vehicle includes a relay circuit that has a pair of terminals that are adapted to be connected with another circuit. A detection circuit is in communication with the relay circuit. The detection circuit can detect closing of the relay circuit... Agent: Ian F. Burns & Associates

20080116897 - Potential sensor and image forming apparatus having potential sensor: A potential sensor is provided in which the adhesion of toner particles to the potential sensor is reduced or prevented from occurring, reducing or preventing the occurrence of a situation that accurate detection cannot be performed. The potential sensor has a movable member, detecting electrodes formed on the movable member,... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20080116898 - Dc motor phase detection method: A DC motor phase detection algorithm that monitors the change in motor current to detect pulses in the current caused by the motor's commutator brushes crossing over the gap between rotor commutator segments as the motor shaft rotates. A pulse is generated each time a commutator brush breaks and then... Agent: Schneider Electric / Square D Company Legal Dept. - I.p. Group (np)

20080116899 - Test apparatus and test module: A test apparatus is provided. The test apparatus includes: a signal provision section that provides a test signal to a device under test; an input section that inputs the output signal outputted from the device under test in response to the test signal as a signal-under-test; a periodic pulse generating... Agent: Osha Liang L.l.p.

20080116900 - Broken lead detection: The present invention relates to a broken lead testing device for determining whether a lead in a balanced lead pair of a datacom circuit is broken or faulty. Terminated leads are subjected to a phase difference and/or a voltage difference test, while unterminated leads are subjected to a current injection... Agent: Allen, Dyer, Doppelt, Milbrath & Gilchrist P.a.

20080116901 - Consumption current balance circuit, compensation current amount adjusting method, timing generator, and semiconductor testing apparatus: A consumption current balance circuit reduces the layout area and suppresses the deterioration of accuracy of a delay time caused by a temperature variation due to a power variation of a delay circuit itself or caused by a load variation of a power supply. The consumption current balance circuit includes... Agent: Muramatsu & Associates

20080116902 - Second intercept point (ip2) calibrator and method for calibrating ip2: A second intercept point (IP2) calibrator and a method for calibrating IP2 are disclosed. The IP2 calibrator and the method for calibrating IP2 remove any direct current (DC) offset by comparing a common-mode reference voltage with the common-mode voltage measured between a first output terminal and a second output terminal... Agent: F. Chau & Associates, Llc

20080116903 - microwave sensor for high-precision level measurement in a pneumatic spring: A device and method are provided for measuring distance in a pneumatic spring with a metal base and cover. The device includes an electrically conductive spring element positioned between a metal base and cover of the pneumatic spring to form a microwave cavity resonator.... Agent: Ater Wynne LLP

20080116904 - Methods and systems for switched charge transfer capacitance measuring using shared components: Methods, systems and devices are described for detecting a measurable capacitance using charge transfer techniques that can be implemented with many standard microcontrollers, and can share components to reduce device complexity and improve performance. In the various implementations of this embodiment, the passive network used to accumulate charge can be... Agent: Ingrassia Fisher & Lorenz, P.c. (syna)

20080116905 - Gravity gradiometer: The present invention provides a gravity gradiometer for measuring components of the gravity gradient tensor. The gravity gradiometer comprises at least one sensor mass for movement in response to a gravity gradient and a sensor and actuator unit for generating an electrical signal in response to the movement of the... Agent: Fish & Richardson P.c.

20080116906 - Apparatus and method for metering contact integrity: An arrangement for use in connection with an electricity meter includes an electricity meter housing and at least one connection between a first conductor and a second conductor carrying line voltage. The arrangement further includes a processing circuit that is configured to obtain a first voltage measurement within the meter... Agent: Maginot, Moore & Beck Chase Tower

20080116907 - Process for simulating the corrosive effects of refinery feedstocks on refinery metalurgy: A process for evaluating the corrosive effect of a refinery feedstock on the metallurgy of one or more refinery processes, said process comprising: (i) providing a plurality of refinery feedstocks and/or a plurality of fractions of one or more refinery feedstocks, (ii) providing an array comprising a plurality of metal... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, Pc

20080116908 - Methods for detecting contaminants in a liquid: In one embodiment, a method for detecting contaminants in a liquid comprises: contacting a sensor with a liquid, generating electrical information based upon a concentration of the contaminant in the liquid, transmitting the electrical information to a controller, and determining the concentration of a contaminant in the liquid. The sensor... Agent: General Electric Company Global Research

20080116909 - Method for determining a minority carrier diffusion length using surface photo voltage measurements: A method of determining a diffusion length of a minority carrier in a material which includes applying a first excitation light having a first photon flux to a material, measuring a first surface photo voltage resulting from the application of the first excitation light, applying a second excitation light having... Agent: Greenblum & Bernstein, P.L.C

20080116910 - Apparatus for mass die testing: A semiconductor wafer includes a set of dice under test connected together by a plurality of signal buses; and at least one test die designed for carrying out tests of the dice under test, having a set of pads to be connected to one or more probes of an external... Agent: Howard Chen, Esq. Preston Gates & Ellis LLP

20080116919 - Fpga and method and system for configuring and debugging a fpga: The present invention provides a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a system for debugging a Field Programmable Gate Array, a method for debugging a Field Programmable Gate Array, a FPGA configuration data product and a method and system for configuring a FPGA. According to one aspect of the invention, there... Agent: Law Office Of Ido Tuchman (yor)

20080116912 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080116913 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080116914 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080116915 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080116916 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080116911 - Probe receptacle for mounting a probe for testing semiconductor components, probe holder arm and test apparatus: To arrange a probe needle in a reproducible manner, ensure reliable contact-connection of the probe needle and ensure that the probe needle is held securely even at high temperatures or test forces, a probe receptacle is provided for mounting a probe for testing semiconductor components. The probe has a probe... Agent: Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti Pc

20080116918 - Probe station to testing semiconductor substrates and comprising emi shielding: A probe station for testing semiconductor substrates, i.e., wafers and other electronic semiconductor elements, suitable for carrying out low-current and low-voltage measurement, comprises a shielding with which the electromagnetic influence (EMI) of the measurement of the semiconductor substrate can be minimized, and also comprises devices for the preparation of test... Agent: Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti Pc

20080116917 - Probe support and process for the examination of test substrates under use of probe supports: A probe support for holding probes which serve for electrical contacting of test substrates in a prober for testing purposes is specified. A process for testing test substrates in such a prober is also specified. The probe support comprises a probe card holder, a probe card, and a probe card... Agent: Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti Pc

20080116920 - Coordinate transformation device for electrical signal connection: There is disclosed a coordinate transformation device for electrical signal connection used for a probe card applicable to narrow pitch pads, which particularly simplifies wiring from the terminal onto the inspection apparatus board and prevents electrical contact failure. In the coordinate transformation device for electrical signal connection, an input terminal... Agent: Haynes And Boone, LLP

20080116921 - Liquid recovery, collection method and apparatus in a non-recirculating test and burn-in application: A heat sink for use in the burn-in of an I/C chip, which chip has a generally “flat” surface. The heat sink has a “flat” surface with micro-channels therein, positioned to open and close in and out of contact against the flat surface of an I/C chip being burned-in. At... Agent: Driggs, Hogg, Daugherty & Del Zoppo Co., L.p.a.

20080116922 - Testing system contactor: A testing system contactor with an integral temperature measurement sensor.... Agent: Iandiorio & Teska

20080116924 - Device under test pogo pin type contact element: A device under test pogo pin type contactor features an active head and an electronic component associated with the active head. A tip is spaced from the active head and a biasing device is between the active head and the tip for biasing the active head against a device under... Agent: Iandiorio Teska & Coleman

20080116925 - Probe device: A probe device includes a stage for fixing a semiconductor device having an external connection pad; a heating unit provided in the stage, for heating the semiconductor device to a predetermined temperature; and a probe card having a probe pin and a support substrate for supporting the probe pin, in... Agent: Drinker Biddle & Reath (dc)

20080116923 - Ultra-fine pitch probe card structure: A system and a method of testing a semiconductor die is provided. An embodiment comprises a plurality of metal tips that are connected to a redistribution layer that fans out the pitch from the tips to metal plugs located in the substrate. The metal tips could be formed using semiconductor... Agent: Slater & Matsil, L.l.p.

20080116926 - Semiconductor probe having resistive tip and method of fabricating the same: Provided are a semiconductor probe having a resistive tip and a method of fabricating the semiconductor probe. The semiconductor probe includes a resistive tip which is doped with a first impurity, and of which an apex portion is doped with a low concentration of a second impurity of opposite polarity... Agent: Sughrue Mion, Pllc

20080116927 - Contact tip structure for microelectronic interconnection elements and methods of making same: Contact tip structures are fabricated on sacrificial substrates for subsequent joining to interconnection elements including composite interconnection elements, monolithic interconnection elements, tungsten needles of probe cards, contact bumps of membrane probes, and the like. The spatial relationship between the tip structures can lithographically be defined to very close tolerances. The... Agent: N. Kenneth Burraston Kirton & Mcconkie

20080116928 - Electro-optic modulator assembly for contactless test of flat panel display, method for contactless test of flat panel display using the same, method for manufacturing flat panel display using the method for contactless test of flat panel display, and rel: Disclosed is an electro-optic modulator assembly capable of determining whether each process is being carried out normally during a fabricating process of a flat panel display by performing a contactless testing across the flat panel display, an apparatus and a method for contactless test of flat panel display using the... Agent: Fish & Richardson P.c.

20080111536 - Portable device for the detection of concealed objects: The object of the present invention is a device for the detection of concealed objects which exploits a transceiving system of the microwave type.... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20080111537 - Quick reference test light probe with digital voltage meter: The present invention relates to a quick reference electrical voltage testing tool utilizing a variable voltage range light bulb and digital read out voltage meter both incorporated in the testing tool's handle. The variable voltage range light bulb indicates to the user the knowledge of voltage present and the digital... Agent: Dickinson Wright Pllc

20080111538 - Measurement apparatus and measurement method: A measurement apparatus that measures a current consumed by an electronic device is provided. The measurement apparatus includes: a power supply output terminal connected to the electronic device; a power supply voltage output section that output a power supply voltage; a diode switch section having two diodes connected in parallel... Agent: Osha Liang L.l.p.

20080111539 - Direct current measuring apparatus and limiting circuit: A direct current measuring apparatus includes a voltage generating part generating a voltage to be applied to a load being a measuring object; a current limiting part limiting a current flowing in the load to a set value; and an output terminal connected to the load. The current limiting part... Agent: Osha Liang L.l.p.

20080111540 - Inspection of asphalt during manufacturing: An apparatus and a method for monitoring a ratio of at least two components being mixed use sensors detecting ferrous taggant particles in the component(s) and the mixture. The sensors include an annular drive coil positioned between inner and outer annular sense coils all surrounding a passage for material being... Agent: Fraser Clemens Martin & Miller Llc

20080111541 - Angular position measurement device: In one embodiment, a sensor assembly for measuring an angular position of a rotatable structure includes an annular ring that is eccentrically rotatable about an axis, a first and second sensors, and an sensor transducing circuit for combining the respective output levels from the two sensors. The first and second... Agent: Baker Botts LLP

20080111542 - Rotation detecting apparatus and bearing provided with same: To provide a rotation detecting apparatus capable of increasing the angle detecting precision without being affected by an offset signal resulting from a stress in a silicon chip, the rotation detecting apparatus 3 includes a magnetic sensor array 5 and a magnet 4 rotatable in face-to-face relation with the magnetic... Agent: Staas & Halsey LLP

20080111543 - Measurement of wall thicknesses, particularly of a blade, by eddy currents: The present invention relates to a method for evaluating the wall thickness of a hollow part, of the turbomachine blade type, at least at a point having a determined radius of curvature at this point, within determined ranges of radii of curvature and thicknesses, comprising the determination of impedance values... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.c.

20080111544 - In-plane magnetic field generation: A set of magnets, e.g., electromagnets, are used to produce an in-plane magnetic field with respect to an article under test or manufacture. The set of electromagnets includes electromagnets that are positioned above and below the plane of symmetry respectively. The bottom electromagnets may be positioned below the surface of... Agent: Silicon Valley Patent Group LLP

20080111545 - Apparatus and method for detecting metallic objects in shoes: An inspection system positions a balancing shim to asymmetrically balance a magnetic field generated by an inductive sensor, which forms part of the inspection system. Additionally, relays and capacitors used to tune the inductive sensor to a desired resonance frequency are geometrically arranged to minimize electrical interference generated by operation... Agent: General Electric Co. Global Patent Operation

20080111546 - Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging apparatus: There is provided an MRI apparatus that is capable of imaging ON/OFF in response to a biological gating signal and changing conditions for imaging, even while the moving bed imaging is performed, and further reducing a load on a subject to be examined, which is caused by fluctuations in the... Agent: Cooper & Dunham, LLP

20080111547 - Echo train preparation for fast spin-echo acquisition: In one aspect, a method of inducing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals from a region of an object to be imaged is provided. The method comprises applying to the region a preparation sequence configured to substantially establish a zero flip-angle pseudo steady state (PSS) for the region, applying to the... Agent: Wolf Greenfield & Sacks, P.c.

20080111548 - Nmr probe and nmr spectrometer: A signal line is drawn from a generally middle point of the antenna coil, and a capacitance-variable capacitors are connected at both sides of the antenna coil. This structure realizes a circuit in which a series resonance circuit composed of an antenna coil and a capacitor and an another series... Agent: Antonelli, Terry, Stout & Kraus, LLP

20080111549 - Rf coil for mri apparatus, method of using rf coil for mri apparatus, and mri apparatus: A RF coil according to the invention is made up of an 8-shaped coil having a crossed conductive path, and an impedance adjustment coil that performs connection between crossing points of the conductive path. The crossing points of the conductive path are connected in parallel by the impedance adjustment coil... Agent: Patrick W. Rasche Armstrong Teasdale LLP

20080111550 - Rf resonator system and method for tuning an rf resonator system: A radio-frequency (RF) resonator system, in particular, for a magnetic resonance (MR) probe, comprising at least one RF resonator with a substrate, on which a conductive structure is applied, wherein the conductive structure comprises regions of capacitive and inductive elements, is characterized in that the conductive structure is coated at... Agent: Kohler Schmid Moebus

20080111551 - Magneto-optical method and apparatus for determining properties of reservoir fluids: A method for determining a property of earth formations surrounding a borehole includes the following steps: deriving a fluid sample downhole in the borehole, subjecting the sample while downhole to a magnetic field; measuring a magneto-optical shift of a beam of electromagnetic radiation passed through the sample, and determining the... Agent: Schlumberger Oilfield Services

20080111553 - Digital locating system and device for underground object detection: An underground digital locating system includes a receiver capable of acquiring a signal produced by an underground object and displaying a digital representation of the orientation of underground object and of its depth. The system includes a carrying case for the digital locating receiver, the carrying case further including a... Agent: Trojan Law Offices

20080111552 - Multi-frequency boring tool locating system and method: Arrangements, apparatus and associated methods are described for use in a multi-frequency boring tool locating system. The boring tool includes a transmitter for transmitting a locating signal at two or more selectable frequencies. One set of above ground procedures may be applied to the transmitter in order to change the... Agent: Pritzkau Patent Group, Llc

20080111554 - Apparatus for multicomponent induction measurement with reduced borehole and eccentricity effects: A multicomponent induction logging tool uses a nonconducting mandrel with a windowed conducting sleeve. This arrangement reduces effects due to tool eccentering and coil misalignment.... Agent: Madan, Mossman & Sriram, P.c.

20080111555 - Security system controller with integrated tester: A controller is provided for use with a vehicle security system, particularly a remote start system. The controller includes a housing, means for detecting voltage of a vehicle wire, and means for displaying detected voltage. The means for detecting voltage can be an external probe. The means for displaying detected... Agent: Directed Electronics, Inc.

20080111556 - Car power source apparatus: The car power source apparatus is provided with a battery array that has a plurality of battery units connected in series, a battery over-charge and over-discharge detection circuit, selection switches that sequentially input battery unit voltages to the over-charge and over-discharge detection circuit, a reference voltage circuit that inputs reference... Agent: Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack, L.l.p.

20080111557 - Method for detecting a discharge condition fault in an electrical system of a vehicle or piece of machinery: A method for detecting a discharge condition fault in an electrical system of a vehicle or a piece of machinery includes supplying electrical energy to the electrical system from an auxiliary battery or batteries of a multiple battery system when a main battery of the multiple battery system does not... Agent: Brinkle Y, Morgan, Solomon, Tatum, Stanley, Lunny, & Crosby, LLP

20080111558 - Defect localization based on defective cell diagnosis: Among the various embodiments described is a method of detecting defects in a cell of an integrated circuit that analyzes exercising conditions applied to an input of the cell during a capture phase of testing with failed test patterns that produce an indication of a fault and that analyzes the... Agent: Klarquist Sparkman, LLP

20080111559 - Capacitive plate dielectrometer method and system for measuring dielectric properties: A capacitive plate dielectrometer method and system is provided that is used to measure dielectric properties, such as permittivity, of a small sample test material at a low frequency. The capacitive plate dielectrometer method and system calibrates the capacitive plate dielectrometer with a plurality of standard dielectric materials and the... Agent: Duke W. Yee

20080111560 - Ac amplifier for precision measurement: A front-end circuit suitable for digital multimeters and measurement devices may be configured with strictly capacitive attenuators replacing the resistive attenuators in the AC signal path. An inverting programmable-gain amplifier (PGA) may be built around an operational amplifier (op-amp), with a single resistor for DC feedback providing a 1st-order response... Agent: Jeffrey C. Hood Meyertons Hood Kivlin Kowert & Goetzel Pc

20080111561 - Method for characterizing integrated circuits for identification or security purposes: A method of detecting small changes to a complex integrated circuit measuring RF/microwave scattering parameters between every pin over a wide frequency range. The data from a characterization of a known good integrated circuit is stored and compared to each subsequent integrated circuit of unknown background.... Agent: Klein, O'neill & Singh, LLP

20080111562 - Apparatus and method for determining capacitance variation in an integrated circuit: An apparatus for determining capacitance variation in an integrated circuit, includes at least two capacitances, a stimulus provided to the at least two capacitances, and a first logic element coupled to the stimulus and the at least two capacitances, the first logic element configured to switch state upon a state... Agent: Kathy Manke Avago Technologies Limited

20080111563 - Device and method for examining a solid, elongate product to be tested: The device for examining a solid, elongate product to be tested contains a measurement capacitor with a measurement part-electrode and guard electrodes electrically insulated therefrom. The device further comprises means for applying an alternating voltage to the measurement capacitor for the purpose of generating an alternating electrical field in the... Agent: Luedeka, Neely & Graham, P.c.

20080111564 - Method for examining bonding resistance: An exemplary method for examining bonding resistance includes providing a first electronic component having a first and second reference pins. A second electronic component having a third and fourth reference pins is also provided. A first input voltage is applied to the first reference pin. A bias resistor connected between... Agent: Wei Te Chung Foxconn International, Inc.

20080111565 - Concept of compensating for piezo influences on integrated circuitry: The inventive circuitry on a semiconductor chip includes a first functional element having a first electronic functional-element parameter that exhibits a dependence relating to the mechanical stress present in the semiconductor circuit chip in accordance with a first functional-element stress influence function. The first functional element provides a first output... Agent: Eschweiler & Associates Llc

20080111566 - System and method for use in functional failure analysis by induced stimulus: A scanning/imaging system wherein an external stimulus is used for exciting a device under test (DUT). A stimulus source is included for providing a stationary stimulus with a controllable spot size to a device under test (DUT), the controllable spot size covering a portion of the DUT for excitation by... Agent: Shreen K. Danamraj Danamraj & Emanuelson, P.c.

20080111568 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080111569 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080111570 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080111567 - Probe card and method of producing the same: e

20080111571 - Membrane probing system: A membrane probing assembly includes a probe card with conductors supported thereon, wherein the conductors include at least a signal conductor located between a pair of spaced apart guard conductors. A membrane assembly includes a membrane with contacts thereon, and supporting at least a signal conductor located between a pair... Agent: Chernoff, Vilhauer, Mcclung & Stenzel

20080111572 - Probe cards employing probes having retaining portions for potting in a retention arrangement: Method and apparatus using a retention arrangement with a potting enclosure for holding a plurality of probes by their retention portions, the probes being of the type having contacting tips for establishing electrical contact with pads or bumps of a device under test (DUT) to perform an electrical test. The... Agent: Lumen Patent Firm, Inc.

20080111573 - Pin-type probes for contacting electronic circuits and methods for making such probes: Pin probes and pin probe arrays are provided that allow electric contact to be made with selected electronic circuit components. Some embodiments include one or more compliant pin elements located within a sheath. Some embodiments include pin probes that include locking or latching elements that may be used to fix... Agent: Microfabrica Inc. Att: Dennis R. Smalley

20080111574 - Method for isolating a short-circuited integrated circuit (ic) from other ics on a semiconductor wafer: A circuit for isolating a short-circuited integrated circuit (IC) formed on the surface of a semiconductor wafer from other ICs formed on the wafer that are interconnected with the short-circuited IC includes control circuitry within the short-circuited IC for sensing the short circuit. The control circuitry may sense the short... Agent: Trask Britt, P.c./ Micron Technology

20080111575 - Semiconductor device: According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided, a semiconductor device, including an internal voltage generation circuit generating a prescribed voltage, a first test circuit connecting to a voltage-supplying wiring, one end of the voltage-supplying wiring being connected to a source wiring and the other end of the... Agent: Amin, Turocy & Calvin, LLP

20080111576 - Circuit and method for trimming integrated circuits: A programmable after-package, on-chip reference voltage trim circuit for an integrated circuit having a plurality of programmable trim cells generating a programmed sequence. A converter is provided to convert the bit sequence into a trim current. The trim current is added to an initial value of a reference voltage to... Agent: Grossman, Tucker, Perreault & Pfleger, Pllc

20080111578 - Device for measurement and analysis of electrical signals of an integrated circuit component: According to the invention, one or more external test connection contact points (pads; pins; balls), are provided in an integrated circuit component (chip) (1), through which signals (4, 5, 6) that are to be measured or analyzed are selectively fed, e.g. by means of a multiplex circuit (7,8), and wherein... Agent: Lerner Greenberg Stemer LLP

20080111577 - Integrated substrate transfer module: A system and method for supporting and transferring a substrate relative to a plurality of testing columns are provided. The system includes a testing table adapted to support and move the substrate relative to the plurality of testing columns. The testing table may include an end effector disposed therein to... Agent: Patterson & Sheridan, LLP - - Appm/tx

20080106249 - Generating sample error coefficients: This invention relates to generation of a sample error coefficient suitable for use in an audio signal quality assessment system. The invention provides a method of determining a sample error coefficient between a first signal and a similar second signal comprising the steps of: determining a first periodicity measure from... Agent: Bourque & Associates Intellectual Property Attorneys, P.A.

20080106250 - Method of monitoring a photvoltaic generator: The subject matter of the present invention is a method for monitoring a photovoltaic generator (1) for generating current with a number of solar cells connected between two external connections by repeated feeding of a current with a frequency spectrum into the generator current circuit, detecting thereby a respective frequency... Agent: Pyle & Piontek Attn: Thomas R. Vigil

20080106251 - Daylight-readable digital panel meter with auto-brightness adjusting led display: A digital panel meter includes a light-emitting diode (LED) display that is sufficiently bright to be easily read in direct sunlight. The digital panel meter also includes an ambient light-sensing circuit which automatically and continuously adjusts the brightness of the LED display in order to provide adequate readability in ambient... Agent: Murata Power Solutions C/o Keating & Bennett, LLP

20080106252 - Integrated current sensing transformer and current sensing circuit using such transformer: An integrated current sensing transformer includes a bobbin, a magnetic core assembly, a first primary winding element, a second primary winding element, a secondary winding element. The bobbin has a receptacle therein. The magnetic core assembly is partially embedded into the receptacle for providing a closed path of magnetic flux.... Agent: Madson & Austin

20080106253 - Shielded rogowski coil assembly and methods: Shielded Rogowski coil systems having separate interface cables and methods for eliminating and monitoring noise in signal transmissions over the cables.... Agent: King & Spalding LLP

20080106254 - Split rogowski coil current measuring device and methods: A split Rogowski coil assembly having distinct coil loops formed on printed circuit boards that are not joined to one another.... Agent: King & Spalding LLP

20080106255 - Voltage monitoring: Embodiments of voltage monitoring are disclosed.... Agent: Hewlett Packard Company

20080106256 - Revolution indicator and a program for the revolution indicator: The object of the invention is providing a revolution indicator and a program for the indicator, which can detect a varying number of revolutions precisely. The indicator includes: a detecting portion detecting a physical phenomenon resulting from the revolution movement of a measuring object; a FFT computation portion performing a... Agent: Scully Scott Murphy & Presser, PC

20080106257 - Probe card and method for testing magnetic sensor: A probe card comprises a plurality of coils for impressing a magnetic field in changeable directions to a magnetic sensor and a group of probes for detecting an output signal of the magnetic sensor. A manufacturing cost of the magnetic sensor can be decreased.... Agent: Dickstein Shapiro LLP

20080106258 - Compliant tactile sensor: Tactile sensor. The sensor includes a compliant convex surface disposed above a sensor array, the sensor array adapted to respond to deformation of the convex surface to generate a signal related to an applied force vector.... Agent: Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP

20080106259 - Linear displacement sensor utilizing four pole magnet array: A linear sensor uses four spaced apart magnets arranged in a rectangular array and has an axis of symmetry. Each magnet has a staircase shape of at least two steps ascending towards a centerline. Each magnet of the array has a single N-S with magnets arranged as mirror images about... Agent: Key Safety Systems, Inc. Patent Department

20080106260 - Magnetic flux leakage system and method: A system for detecting defects in a string being pulled from the well includes an AC exciter (14) to induce eddy currents in the string, and a plurality of magnetic flux leakage detectors (16) circumferentially spaced about the string, each for detecting magnetic flux leakage indicative of a defect. Magnetic... Agent: Loren G. Helmreich

20080106261 - Subfemtotesla radio-frequency atomic magnetometer for nuclear quadrupole resonance detection: A radio-frequency tunable atomic magnetometer for detection of nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) from room temperature solids, including detection of nitrogen-containing explosives placed external to a sensor unit. A potassium radio-frequency magnetometer with sensitivity of 0.24 fT/Hz1/2 operating at 423 kHz is provided. The magnetometer detected a 14N NQR signal from... Agent: Blank Rome LLP

20080106262 - Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus: A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a gantry having an imaging space therein, a receiving circuit that receives a magnetic resonance signal emitted from a subject arranged in the imaging space, and a bed device on which the subjected is mounted, wherein the bed device includes a top panel on... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC

20080106263 - Sample holder for nmr measurements with field homogenization in the sample volume by means of the bordering surfaces of the sample holder: A sample vessel (80) made of material with magnetic susceptibility χ2, for containing a sample substance (87) with magnetic susceptibility χ3≠χ2 to be analyzed in a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer, has an inner interface G2 toward the sample substance and an outer interface G1 toward the environment (85) that... Agent: Kohler Schmid Moebus

20080106264 - Magnetic resonance system with reception antenna device: A magnetic resonance system that has a magnet system that generates magnetic fields in an excitation region, allowing nuclei in an examination subject in the excitation region to be excited to emit a magnetic resonance signal. A reception antenna device with multiple local coils for reception of the magnetic resonance... Agent: Schiff Hardin, LLP Patent Department

20080106265 - Time segmentation of frequencies in controlled source electromagnetic (csem) applications: A method for measuring a resistivity of a subsurface formation that includes transmitting continuously a signal at a first fundamental frequency at full power for a first period of time within a single window of time causing electromagnetic energy to propagate in the subsurface formations, transmitting continuously the signal at... Agent: Westerngeco L.L.C.

20080106266 - Series terminal, test plug and test terminal block: An electrical series terminal with a terminal housing, with two conductor connecting elements located in it, and with two current busses, first end regions of which are each assigned to a conductor connecting element and second end regions of which together form an elastic contact region for accommodating the contact... Agent: Roberts, Mlotkowski & Hobbes

20080106267 - Battery maintenance tool with probe light: A battery maintenance tool, which electrically couples to a battery, includes a maintenance tool housing and electronic circuitry within the maintenance tool housing. A cable, substantially external to the maintenance tool housing includes a plurality of conductors. At least some conductors of the plurality conductors are configured to electrically couple... Agent: Westman Champlin & Kelly, P.A.

20080106268 - Methods and apparatus to facilitate ground fault detection with a single coil: An example method of detecting a ground fault includes driving a first capacitor with an inductor to generate a resonance signal component and monitoring an inductor signal to determine at least one of a neutral-to-ground fault, a line-to-ground fault, or a non-fault condition. The example method also includes generating a... Agent: Texas Instruments Incorporated

20080106269 - Methods and apparatus to facilitate ground fault detection with a single coil and an oscillator: Methods and apparatus to facilitate ground fault detection with a single coil and an oscillator are disclosed. An example ground fault detection device includes a sense coil including a secondary winding surrounding a line conductor and a neutral conductor, the line conductor and the neutral conductor forming a primary winding.... Agent: Texas Instruments Incorporated

20080106270 - Apparatus for detecting imbalances in a paired line: A device for measuring and isolating noise-creating imbalances in a paired telecommunications line has an internal circuit which comprises a balanced center tapped termination consisting of precisely equal resistor pairs. The circuit includes an adjustable sine wave burst generator which generates a low voltage longitudinal ac signal that is transmitted... Agent: Russo & Duckworth, LLP

20080106271 - Method for detecting an interface between first and second strata of materials: Methods of detecting an interface between first and second materials having different dielectric loss factors disposed in a stratified manner in a volume of materials using a sensing apparatus having a length of transmission line that includes an inner conductor surrounded by a dielectric material and at least one shielding... Agent: George M. Medwick E.i. Du Pont De Nemours And Company

20080106272 - A position detecting device with a microwave antenna arrangement: A position detecting device finds the position of a specimen arranged in a conductive structure on the basis of microwaves and comprises an electrical circuit for the production and/or reception of the microwaves and a microwave antenna arrangement for emitting and/or receiving the microwaves. Said position detecting device includes a... Agent: Hoffmann & Baron, LLP

20080106273 - Signal processing system and method: First and second complementary voltage signals are operatively coupled across a series circuit comprising first and second sense resistors and a circuit element therebetween. A voltage across the circuit element is regulated in reference to a predetermined level, and an output signal responsive to the self-impedance of the circuit element... Agent: Raggio & Dinnin, P.C.

20080106274 - Method for measuring intrinsic capacitance of a metal oxide semiconductor (mos) device: A method for measuring intrinsic capacitance of a MOS device is provided. The MOS device includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal and a fourth terminal. First, provide a first input signal to the second terminal and ground the third terminal and fourth terminal. Then, charge the... Agent: Bacon & Thomas, PLLC

20080106275 - Sensor and method for measuring a variable affecting a capacitive component: The invention relates to a sensor and method for measuring a variable affecting a micro-electromechanical component. The invention is based on creating electronics, which are preferably integrated in a single circuit and which exploit the pull-in point of a micro-electromechanical sensor component such as a direct-current reference, for measuring a... Agent: Birch Stewart Kolasch & Birch

20080106276 - Hydrogen gas sensor: A hydrogen gas sensor and/or switch fabricated from arrays nanowires composed of metal or metal alloys that have stable metal hydride phases. The sensor and/or switch response times make it quite suitable for measuring the concentration of hydrogen in a flowing gas stream. The sensor and/or switch preferably operates by... Agent: Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLPIPProsecution Department

20080106277 - Chip-based prober for high frequency measurements and methods of measuring: A chip-based prober for measuring a device-under-test is provided. The prober includes a probe tip, a voltage and control connector, a chip carrier, and a programmable termination chip. The probe tip is configured to contact the device-under-test. The voltage and control connector is in electrical communication with the probe tip.... Agent: Ohlandt, Greeley, Ruggiero & Perle, LLP

20080106288 - Circuit boards including removable test point portions and configurable testing platforms: Circuit boards are provided that include a functional portion and at least one removable test point portion. The removable test point portion may include test points which are accessed to verify whether the functional portion is operating properly or whether installed electronic components are electrically coupled to the board. If... Agent: Ropes & Gray LLP

20080106278 - Method and system for centrally-controlled semiconductor wafer correlation: A centrally-controlled correlation system for testing a correlation wafer and comparing the testing results with the wafer's reference data that has been determined previously. The testing instructions and the correlation criteria are stored and transmitted from a central database. Such centrally-controlled correlation system improves the reliability of the correlation results... Agent: Baker & Mckenzie On Behalf Of Tsmc

20080106279 - Probe card layout: Multi-touchdown, parallel test probe cards having probe elements arranged to provide greater than 99% efficiency during testing of a substrate having a plurality of die thereon, and methods of use.... Agent: Fletcher Yoder (micron Technology, Inc.)

20080106286 - Routing engine, method of routing a test probe and testing system employing the same: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a routing engine, a method of routing a test probe and a testing system employing the router or the method. In one embodiment, the routing engine is for use with a test unit having at least one test probe and includes an analysis unit... Agent: Texas Instruments Incorporated

20080106281 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080106282 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080106283 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080106284 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080106285 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080106287 - Scan testing system, method and apparatus: Test circuits located on semiconductor die enable a tester to test a plurality of die/ICs in parallel by inputting both stimulus and response patterns to the plurality of die/ICs. The response patterns from the tester are input to the test circuits along with the output response of the die/IC to... Agent: Texas Instruments Incorporated

20080106289 - Torsion spring probe contactor design: The present invention relates to a probe for making electrical connection to a contact pad on a microelectronic device. A foot having a length, a thickness, a width, a proximal end, and a distal end, is connected to a substrate. The length of the foot is greater than its width.... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

20080106280 - Vertical microprobes for contacting electronic components and method for making such probes: Multilayer probe structures for testing or otherwise making electrical contact with semiconductor die or other electronic components are electrochemically fabricated via depositions of one or more materials in a plurality of overlaying and adhered layers. In some embodiments the structures may include configurations intended to enhance functionality, buildability, or both.... Agent: Microfabrica Inc. Att: Dennis R. Smalley

20080106290 - Wafer probe station having environment control enclosure: A wafer probe station is equipped with an integrated environment control enclosure substantially surrounding a supporting surface for holding a test device, such enclosure limiting fluid communication between the interior and exterior of the enclosure and preferably also providing EMI shielding and a dark environment. The limited communication between the... Agent: Chernoff, Vilhauer, Mcclung & Stenzel

20080106291 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer forms or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Daniel P. Morris Intellectual Property Law Dept.

20080106292 - Probe card having cantilever probes: A probe card includes a printed circuit board (PCB) and a probe ring coupled to the PCB. The probe card further includes a plurality of probes coupled to the PCB and to the probe card, and includes a plurality of tubes respectively associated with the plurality of probes. Each tube... Agent: Townsend And Townsend And Crew, LLP

20080106293 - Drive method and drive circuit of peltier element, attaching structure of peltier module and electronic device handling apparatus: By limiting a current change rate of a power to be supplied to a peltier element by using a pulse width control means for controlling to increase/decrease a pulse width of a pulse signal so that a temperature change of the peltier element does not exceed a predetermined temperature gradient... Agent: Posz Law Group, PLC

20080106294 - Apparatus and method for universal connectivity in test applications: A method and apparatus for using a Universal Test interface in test and measurement applications containing a base unit with at least one electrical, optical, or electromagnetic connection, between this and a parallel interposer with at least one electrical, optical, or electromagnetic connection, a precision alignment and fast attach/release mechanism,... Agent: Stephen William Smith

20080106295 - System and method for measuring negative bias thermal instability with a ring oscillator: An integrated circuit, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes a first device under test (DUT), a first ring oscillator, a second DUT and a second ring oscillator. The first DUT is biased such that interface traps are generated during a first mode. The generated interface traps... Agent: Murabito, Hao & Barnes LLP Third Floor

20080106296 - Test system of multi-chip package with improved signal integrity by restraining reflection wave: A test system includes: a tester; and a test board, on which a multi-chip package including plural memories is mounted, being connected to the tester by way of a transmission line. The transmission line includes a compensation unit for compensating signal distortion.... Agent: Mills & Onello LLP

20080100279 - Nano-based device for detection of disease biomarkers and other target molecules: The present invention pertains to a nano-based sensing device (a sensor) comprising a nano-scale working electrode that can be used for the ultra-sensitive detection of blood analytes, disease biomarkers, and other target molecules. The present invention also pertains to a method for detecting analytes using the sensor as the sensor... Agent: Saliwanchik Lloyd & Saliwanchik A Professional Association

20080100280 - Method and device for measuring with synchronous detection and correlated sampling: The invention relates to electronic circuits for measuring, by synchronous detection, weak signals whose reference level is not well known and is subject to large fluctuations. A first correlated double sampling is performed between a time T1 situated just before the start of the measurement pulse and a time T2... Agent: Lowe Hauptman & Berner, LLP

20080100281 - Method of optical frequency measurement: A method of absolute optical frequency measurement is realized by using mode-locked laser frequency combs to measure the optical frequency of an unknown laser. By varying the repetition frequency, the relative frequency location of the unknown laser to the beating comb line is determined according to the corresponding variation of... Agent: Wpat, PC Intellectual Property Attorneys

20080100282 - Ground resistance test apparatus: The “Ground Resistance Test” provides a circuit and test setup for measuring the resistance of earth grounds. The ground resistance test uses the central office battery from a working telephone pair to source current into the “Tested Ground”. First the quiescent voltage (Vo) on the Tested Ground with respect to... Agent: Russo & Duckworth, LLP

20080100283 - Methods for measuring capacitance: Methods for determining capacitance values of a metal on semiconductor (MOS) structure are provided. A time domain reflectometry circuit may be loaded with a MOS structure. The MOS structure may be biased with various voltages, and reflectometry waveforms from the applied voltage may be collected. The capacitance of the MOS... Agent: Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.

20080100284 - Magneto-sensitive angular-movement sensor: A sensor system for measuring angular movements of measurement objects with at least one magnet (1) and a magneto-sensitive sensor (3), where according to the invention the magnet (1) is imbedded in a magnet support (2) and is circularly arcuate, and the magnet (1) has a cross section that varies... Agent: K.f. Ross P.C.

20080100285 - Rotation angle detecting device: A rotation angle detecting device includes a permanent magnet member, a pair of magnetic sensor elements disposed in a magnetic field formed by the permanent magnet member to provide a pair of output voltage signals when the magnetic field changes as the rotating object rotates; and a rotation angle calculating... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC

20080100286 - Automatic head alignment: A spinstand includes a baseplate, a spindle mounted to the baseplate and a platform connected to the baseplate. A first component and a second component are mounted to the platform. An actuator moves the platform in a first direction relative to the baseplate, and mechanism moves the second component in... Agent: Raghunath S. Minisandram Seagate Technology LLC

20080100287 - Disc media testing control system: Techniques are described in which a hard disc media tester uses busses conforming to a single bus format to connect control components within a control system of the hard disc media tester. A hard disc media tester may include several control components such as a testing control module, a motion... Agent: Raghunath S. Minisandram Seagate Technology LLC

20080100288 - Seal inspection apparatus and method: A seal inspector and a method of inspecting a seal are described. A seal inspector includes an eddy current sensor for detecting changes in an eddy current within a lid seal of a can. The eddy current sensor includes a signal line for creating a magnetic field, which induces the... Agent: Mcdonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP

20080100290 - Magnetic sensor and manufacturing method thereof: First and second MR elements are provided with a plurality of element patterns each having a stacked structure. The stacked structure includes a free layer changing its magnetization direction depending on an external magnetic field, an intermediate layer generating no specific magnetization direction, and a pinned layer having magnetization pinned... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080100289 - Magnetoresistive sensor element for sensing a magnetic field: A magnetoresistive sensor element has a first magnetic layer structure, a second magnetic layer structure, and a barrier layer. The resistance R1 of the first magnetic layer structure, the resistance R2 of the second magnetic layer structure and resistance-area product RA define a characteristic length λ of the magnetoresistive sensor... Agent: Eschweiler & Associates LLC

20080100291 - Solid high aspect ratio via hole used for burn-in boards, wafer sort probe cards, and package test load boards with electronic circuitry: A method, and apparatus resulting from the method, for fabricating a circuit board suitable for mounting electronic components. The method includes drilling a plurality of through-holes in a plurality of dielectric sheets, forming a conductive film on at least one side of each of the plurality of dielectric sheets, and... Agent: Schneck & Schneck

20080100292 - System and method for fast mr coil sensitivity mapping: A system and method for mapping the sensitivity of MR coils includes a neural network or other computer intelligence trained from sample MR data to determine coil sensitivity profiles or sensitivity normalizations. Once the network is trained, subsequent coil mapping determinations may include fewer mapping acquisitions per coil. The resulting... Agent: General Electric Company Global Research

20080100293 - Method of carrying out dynamic nuclear polarization: A method of carrying out DNP on a sample with a molecular structure containing at least two J-coupled non-integer spin nuclear species, the method comprising hyperpolarizing the sample in a cooled, solid form while it is exposed to a homogeneous magnetic field of suitable strength; dissolving or melting the hyperpolarized... Agent: Blank Rome LLP

20080100294 - Flexible rf coil assembly and method of making same: An RF coil assembly includes a plurality of coil supports rotatably interconnected to each other. Each coil support is configured to rotate with respect to at least one adjoining coil support. A plurality of RF coils is connected to each coil support.... Agent: General Electric Company Global Research

20080100295 - Superconductive magnetic apparatus for magnetic resonance imaging unit: A super-conducting magnet apparatus in an MRI system which may reduce unevenness among magnetization characteristics of ferromagnetic elements arranged between super-conductive shield coils and superconducting main coils. There are provided a pair of super-conducting main coils, a pair of superconductive shield coils arranged on the axes of the pair of... Agent: Dickstein Shapiro LLP

20080100296 - Flow-through microfluidic nuclear magnetic resonance(=nmr)-chip: A flow-through microfluidic NMR-chip comprising a substrate (5) which is planar in an yz-plane with a sample chamber (2) within the substrate (5), the sample chamber (2) being elongated and having walls which run parallel to the z-direction, the substrate (5) having a thickness in x-direction of a Cartesian xyz-coordinate... Agent: Kohler Schmid Moebus

20080100297 - High frequency coil device: A magnetic resonance diagnostic apparatus, for receiving a magnetic resonance signal occurred in a subject, includes a plurality of high frequency loop coils arranged so that a part of their inner loop surface overlaps each other in a predetermined direction, and a first electric circuit arranged to overlap the inner... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC

20080100298 - Battery management system and driving method thereof: A battery management system and a driving method include a first switch coupled to an end of a resistor. When calculating an internal resistance of a battery, the first switch is turned on and the battery and the resistor are coupled in parallel. Then, the internal resistance of the battery... Agent: Stein, Mcewen & Bui, LLP

20080100299 - Apparatus and method for identifying the presence of high conductivity or permittivity conditions in electrically insulating materials: An apparatus and method for detecting the presence of high conductivity or permittivity conditions in electrically insulating materials, including a first electrode and a second electrode for being placed in spaced-apart relation on an insulator to be tested for a high conductivity or permittivity condition, and a high voltage source... Agent: Trego, Hines & Ladenheim, PLLC

20080100300 - Electrostatic voltmeter: An electrostatic voltmeter has an input sensing terminal, a first operational amplifier, a second operational amplifier, a first reference voltage terminal electrically connected to the non-inverting input of the second operational amplifier, a low reference voltage terminal electrically connected to the output of the second operational amplifier, and a voltage... Agent: Hodgson Russ LLP The Guaranty Building

20080100301 - Method and apparatus for shielding feedthrough pin insulators in an ionization gauge operating in harsh environments: Shields for feedthrough pin insulators of a hot cathode ionization gauge are provided to increase the operational lifetime of the ionization gauge in harmful process environments. Various shield materials, designs, and configurations may be employed depending on the gauge design and other factors. In one embodiment, the shields may include... Agent: Hamilton, Brook, Smith & Reynolds, P.C.

20080100302 - Apparatus and method for measuring and monitoring layer properties in web-based processes: An apparatus and method for measuring and monitoring layer properties in web-based processes are described. The apparatus includes multiple electrode devices adjacently positioned on a surface of a web material, which advances with a predetermined speed. The electrode devices perform measurements of electrical parameters of a layer of the web... Agent: Hewlett Packard Company

20080100303 - Circuit and method for determining potentiometer wiper resistance: A circuit and method for determining the wiper resistance of a potentiometer that includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a resistive element having a potentiometer resistance electrically coupled between the first and second terminals, and a wiper electrically coupled between the resistive element and the third... Agent: Honeywell International Inc.

20080100304 - Network device, network connection detector and detection method thereof: A network device, a network connection detector and a detection method thereof are disclosed. The network device comprises a socket, a waveform generator and a reflected wave detector. The waveform generator sends a first test wave to at least a first contact of a plurality of contacts of a socket... Agent: Rosenberg, Klein & Lee

20080100305 - Automated arc generator and method to repeatably generate electrical arcs for afci testing: An apparatus for repeatably generating electrical arcs for testing an electrical switching device, such as an arc fault circuit interrupter, includes a stationary electrode and a movable electrode that is moved along a path of travel by an electromechanical device under the control of a controller that receives data from... Agent: Martin J. Moran Eaton Electrical, Inc.

20080100306 - Connector: A connector housing (10) has a front surface with projecting walls that form a groove (31). A front mask (60) is mountable at a mount position on the front surface of the housing (10). The front mask (60) has a fittable portion (62) that fits the groove (31) when the... Agent: Casella & Hespos

20080100307 - Cable fault detection: A cable fault detection component (168) receives input data indicative of a fault in an electrical power system. The component (168) analyzes the input data to determine if the fault is indicative of a self-clearing cable fault and generates corresponding output data (276). In one implementation, the cable fault detection... Agent: Driggs, Hogg & Fry Co., L.p.a. Dept. Abb

20080100308 - Apparatus for detecting imbalances in a paired line: A device for measuring and isolating noise-creating imbalances in a paired telecommunications line has an internal circuit which comprises a balanced center tapped termination consisting of precisely equal resistor pairs. The circuit includes an adjustable sine wave burst generator which generates a low voltage longitudinal ac signal that is transmitted... Agent: Russo & Duckworth, LLP

20080100309 - Liquid property sensor: A liquid property sensor for detecting property of liquid includes a semiconductor board, a first electrode and a second electrode, and a protection film. The first and second electrodes are disposed on the semiconductor board to be spaced from each other at a predetermined distance. The protection film has resistance... Agent: Posz Law Group, PLC

20080100310 - Linearity tuning temperature control circuit: A linear heater control circuit has a more linear relationship between sensed temperature and a variable resistance. As the user adjusts the variable resistance, the temperature increases linearly rather than abruptly. The linear control circuit has a parallel resistor that is in parallel with the variable resistor and one or... Agent: Stuart T Auvinen

20080100311 - Electrical measurement of the thickness of a semiconductor layer: A method for the electrical measurement of the thickness of a semiconductor layer ( 10, 11, 12) is disclosed. Active layers on SOI wafers, EPI layers with inverse conductivity tape and membrane thickness can be measured by use of a test structure which can routinely be measured during a production... Agent: Hunton & Williams LLP Intellectual Property Department

20080100313 - Charge eliminating apparatus and method, and program storage medium: A charge eliminating apparatus eliminates, when an electrical characteristics test of a target object is performed by moving a mounting table mounting the target object thereon and a probe card relative to each other to bring the target object into electrical contact with the probe card, static electricity of the... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080100314 - Electrical test system including coaxial cables: An electrical test system includes a test head, a performance board, a probe card and coaxial cables. The performance board includes a first side and an opposite second side, where the first side of the performance board is electrically connected to the test head and the second side of the... Agent: Volentine & Whitt PLLC

20080100312 - Method and apparatus for providing active compliance in a probe card assembly: A probe card assembly can comprise a first source of compliance and a second source of compliance. The probe card assembly can further comprise a controller, which can be configured to apportion a total compliance demand placed on the probe card assembly between the first source of compliance and the... Agent: N. Kenneth Burraston Kirton & Mcconkie

20080100315 - Electrochemically fabricated microprobes: Multilayer test probe structures are electrochemically fabricated via depositions of one or more materials in a plurality of overlaying and adhered layers. In some embodiments each probe structure may include a plurality of contact arms or contact tips that are used for contacting a specific pad or plurality of pads... Agent: Dennis R. Smalley Microfabrica Inc.

20080100316 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080100317 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080100318 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080100320 - Intelligent probe card architecture: A probe card for a wafer test system is provided with a number of on board features enabling fan out of a test system controller channel to test multiple DUTs on a wafer, while limiting undesirable effects of fan out on test results. On board features of the probe card... Agent: N. Kenneth Burraston Kirton & Mcconkie

20080100319 - Intra-chip power and test signal generation for use with test structures on wafers: The fabrication of the wafer may be analyzed starting from when the wafer is in a partially fabricated state. The value of a specified performance parameter may be determined at a plurality of locations on an active area of a die of the wafer. The specified performance parameter is known... Agent: Shemwell Mahamedi LLP

20080100321 - Methods and apparatuses for improved stabilization in a probing system: Improved methods and apparatuses for automatically and accurately maintaining the alignment of a wafer prober to the bonding pads of a semiconductor device in the presence of motion disturbances are provided. In one embodiment of one aspect of the invention, a feedback control system incorporating information from a number of... Agent: Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman

20080100322 - Portable manipulator for stackable semiconductor test system: This invention provides a manipulator for positioning a test head relative to a prober or other reference. The manipulator has a frame; a linkage coupled to the frame and including first and second links having freedom of rotation about respective pivots and a third link coupled to the first and... Agent: Dorsey & Whitney LLP US Bank Center

20080100325 - Integrated circuit test probe with hollow tubular contact configuration: An electrical test probe for a connector assembly includes an elongated contact, an elongated helical coil spring, and an elongated, electrically conductive tubular member disposed about the assembly of said elongated contact and elongated helical coil spring. The bottom portion of the tubular member includes a bullet-nosed portion which protects... Agent: Casella & Hespos

20080100323 - Low cost, high pin count, wafer sort automated test equipment (ate) device under test (dut) interface for testing electronic devices in high parallelism: An interference device to communicate electrical signals from a probe card used to test electronic circuits. The interface device includes at least one interposer configured to electrically couple to the probe card and a plurality of mechanical springs mechanically coupled to the at least one interposer. Each of the plurality... Agent: Schneck & Schneck

20080100324 - High density integrated circuit apparatus, test probe and methods of use thereof: The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an... Agent: Ibm Corporation, T.j. Watson Research Center

20080100326 - Cantilever microprobes for contacting electronic components and methods for making such probes: Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to compliant probe structures for making temporary or permanent contact with electronic circuits and the like. In particular, embodiments are directed to various designs of cantilever-like probe structures. Some embodiments are directed to methods for fabricating such cantilever structures. In some embodiments, for example, cantilever... Agent: Microfabrica Inc. Att: Dennis R. Smalley

20080100327 - Apparatuses and methods for outputting signals during self-heat burn-in modes of operation: An apparatus and method for selecting and outputting test patterns and internal signals during various SHBI modes of operation. The apparatus may include multiple input/output (I/O) pins, one or more functional blocks, a Self-Heat Burn-In (SHBI) state machine that is coupled to the I/O pins and the one or more... Agent: Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, P.C.

20080100328 - Method and apparatus for testing to determine minimum operating voltages in electronic devices: In one embodiment, a test system tests a device under test (DUT). The DUT includes an internal test controller that executes built-in self-test (BIST programs. Built-in self-test programs include array-based automatic built-in self-test programs, discrete and combinational logic built-in self-test programs, and functional architecture verification programs (AVPs). An external manufacturing... Agent: Mark P. Kahler

20080100329 - System and method for multi-up inline testing of radio frequency identification (rfid) inlays: Methods, systems, and apparatuses for ways of testing tags are provided. In an aspect of the present invention, an antenna is mounted in a cavity of a surface. The antenna transmits a test signal, such as a radio frequency (RF) test signal, to the antenna of an adjacent tag, to... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080100330 - Test apparatus, performance board and interface plate: A semiconductor testing device 20 is provided that can connect en bloc a variety of connectors of a performance board 200. The semiconductor testing device 20 includes a test head main body 100 that includes a signal module 110 that generates and processes test signals input and output to a... Agent: Jianq Chyun Intellectual Property Office

20080100331 - Liquid crystal display having discharging circuit: An exemplary liquid crystal display (200) includes a liquid crystal panel, a gate driving circuit (210), and a data driving circuit (220). The liquid crystal panel includes a pixel array (230), a short-circuit test circuit (240), and a control circuit (290). The short-circuit test circuit and the control circuit cooperatively... Agent: Wei Te Chung Foxconn International, Inc.

20080100332 - System and method for detecting a motor shorting relay failure: Methods and systems for detecting a motor shorting relay failure. Exemplary embodiments include methods and systems for determining a motor shorting relay failure in a motor, the motor having first phase winding in a first leg of the motor, a second phase winding in a second leg of the motor,... Agent: Delphi Technologies, Inc.